One of the biggest dangers for athletes is dehydration. But athletes aren’t paying attention, failing to listen and retain information on nutrition, even though it’s crucial to their performance. So Gatorade wondered if we could illustrate hydration in a new way that’s both engaging and memorable. We’ve all heard that the human body is like a machine, so we brought that metaphor to life. Using CGI, we designed an original kinetic machine to illustrate the science of the body’s hydration – and lack thereof – in a simple, dynamic way. Like the body, the Hydration Machine runs on fuel and without proper fuel, the machine cannot reach peak performance. We captured the process from start to finish and released a short video that turned a complex subject into a bite-sized piece of entertainment and education. In the end, we created a new way for Gatorade to educate athletes.

Fifty years ago, Gatorade invented the sports drink category and has since remained the leader in hydrating athletes. No other brand has the aspirational affinity and reliability to tell this story. But to get our competitive teen athletes to listen, we had to educate them about the fundamental principles of hydration in a way that was unique to the category. So we turned the human body into a machine. For design development and production, we started with hand-drawn sketches and then partnered with illustrators, artists and animators to produce all graphic elements and motion design. We took a deep dive into anatomy and athletic performance, building the connection between hydration and movement. Then we explored mechanical dynamics to create an original CGI kinetic machine that illustrates the science of the body’s hydration. The final piece was developed in five months with a $200,000 budget and was featured on the Gatorade Performance Partners website, extending the reach to coaches and athletic trainers.

• The work successfully educated athletes for the brand, teaching more than 3 million athletes how to stay hydrated

• The reach extended to 68,000 coaches and 16,000 athletic trainers

• Sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, with most discussions centered on continuing education efforts

• The approach opened the door for the brand to use entertainment as a driver of education